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Do Employers Conduct Social Media Checks In The UK?

Social media has changed the world we live in. Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to stay in contact with friends and loved ones across the globe. With the touch of a button, you can share your current activities, thoughts and passions with your social media connections. 

However, the flip side of this is that it’s incredibly easy for employers to find you online. In fact, social media screenings are fast becoming a norm in the workplace. Now you may be wondering why employers would do this. Well, it gives them a chance to get to know you before inviting you for an interview. This means that the things you share on your social media accounts have the potential to influence whether or not you get accepted for a job. 

Considering the significant impact, we’ve put together this guide on social media checks to answer the questions you may have. 

What Is A Social Media Background Check?

A social media background check (also referred to as social media screening) is the process of vetting people’s publicly available social media profiles and activities. A common example of this is scanning through an applicant’s LinkedIn page; however, a social media screening can also include analysing other social media profiles such as your Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. However, they will only be able to do this if the accounts are public.  

Why Conduct Social Media Background Checks?

The purpose of social media screening is to gain a better understanding of you as an applicant. Conducting these background checks can often indicate whether you would be a good cultural fit for the company, what your personal goals are as well as whether you have adequate communication skills, amongst other factors. 

Over and above this, social media screening can also determine whether candidates present potential risks to the organisation or its reputation. For example, companies are unlikely to want to hire job candidates who post racist, violent, unlawful, abusive or sexually explicit content on their personal social media profiles.

DBS Checks & Criminal Record Checks

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Do employers check social media in the UK?

By now, most people working in the UK know that their future employers will request some form of a DBS check. But do they do social media checks? Not all employers do these screenings as yet, but a vast majority do. In fact, research conducted in 2015 revealed that 84% of employers did a social media check or Google Search to learn more about job applicants – that’s a lot. 

 

This shows just how important it is for you to be aware of what you’re sharing on your social media accounts. Now, this is not to say that employers will be able to access all of your social media accounts – only the ones that are accessible to the whole public. Considering this, you should think about keeping your personal accounts private but still having one or two social media accounts that are specifically tailored to convey a professional profile. 

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